Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  This is a GREAT little car! - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By JD - November 29 - 8:50 pm

  I had trouble with availablity of LTD V6, especially in Everglade Metallic, and so probably paid more than I should have BUT I love this car! I have no regrets having opted for the V6. It has so much pep and, as a result, is a lot of fun to drive. As for the reduced gas mileage, well, think again. Ive taken two highway trips so far and both times got 31 mpg. On local mountain roads Im averaging just over 24 mpg. Needless to say, Im very pleased. Ive not been back to actual stop and go traffic yet, so cannot comment on actual city driving. In sum, this is a great little (not so little anymore) car. I highly recommend it. Im having a bit of a problem getting the rear seats to go down using the one- touch lever. Im planning to check it out at dealer with first oil change

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  User Unfriendly - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Ron - November 29 - 8:16 pm

  We selected the 4Runner based on headroom, oh well, it fooled me. The drivers side is vertically adjustable and during the test drive it seemed to be just marginal. Im not real big but at 61" after purchasing the vehicle for my wife I found that the passengers seat is too restrictive to bring my head along for the ride unless the seat is reclined. With the unconventional layout of the controls as an occasional user I find myself stopping on the side of the road to find things. Fuel economy is marginal at best when the cost of premium is factored (didnt know that at time of purchase). It gets really bad when towing, at 8 mpg towing 4000 lbs that about 30% more expensive than my club cab 5.9L Ram.

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  Review - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By FDH - November 29 - 6:33 pm

  I drive this Prius about 200 miles every week. I average about 55 miles to the gallon depending on the wind here in the Texas Panhandle. I averaged over 50 miles to the gallon when we drove to Salt Lake City and back. This trip was about 2000 miles and in the mountains. There was 4 adults in the car besides our luggage. I drove about 70 miles an hour. We just got back from Virginia. We drove 10 hours one day and 16 hours the next day at about 72 miles an hour. There was 5 of us in the car. Three adults and two children plus our luggage, we averaged about 50 miles to the gallon, and this trip was about 4000 miles. I am very happy with my Prius and wouldnt trade it for any car.

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  Oil Consumption - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Richard - November 29 - 6:03 pm

  This is our second Camry. First was a 2000 model. After 6 great years with our first Camry we decided to purchase a newly designed 2007. We love the styling inside and out. The only real problem with our car is the oil consumption. at 80k is uses about a quart every 1500 miles. We did research and found other Camry owners with same problem or worse. Toyota has an oil consumption category in the owners manual that states it may use up to 1.1 quarts every 600 miles. NOW COME ON! Who else has that category? My family has owned Toyota for many years. We are now looking for a new vehicle. This makes it very difficult to buy another Toyota. Where has the quality gone?

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  Committed Toyota Driver - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mark - November 29 - 11:36 am

  This is my third Toyota Pickup. They keep making their trucks better and better. The height makes you feel like it is a full size truck, but its handling and manuverability lets you know it is compact. Love the composite bed. The power and acceleration in their 4 cyc. responds better than a lot of 6 cyls. They really know how to build engines. Ive found as long as you keep up with the oil changes, you should not have any problems with Toyotas. One problem with it is I can be on the highway doing 65 mph and the truck is running so smooth and quiet, it takes me a minute to remember I forgot to shift out of third gear (not really a bad thing I guess). I recomend this truck to all my friends.

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  Best Truck - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Marc - November 29 - 5:26 am

  I did my homework and looked at all the competitors even full size. The new Tacoma is head and shoulders above all others. The ride, size and power combination is perfect for driving in SoCal. The truck looks and drives great. All of my friends are jealous. Toyotas reputation speaks for itself. It truly is a world class truck. Buy one you will not be disappointed!

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  30 MPG with a 260 HP V-6! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By George - November 29 - 5:13 am

  I drive 40,000 miles a year and was looking for a dependable car that would be comfortable as well. I wanted navigation, bluetooth, leather and auto temp A/C, so I went with the XLE. I have seen people saying that they were getting 30 mpg on the highway with the Camry V-6 and they are right, first tank was 29.86 mpg (90 % highway). Car is much quieter than the Honda.

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  99 4Runner - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By jerryhutcheson - November 29 - 4:06 am

  Not one problem. Trouble free. Retrofitted K&N cold air intake. 20-21 MPG. A Pleasure to drive.

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  Best built and looking SUV made - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Big Guy - November 29 - 3:16 am

  We love our 4 runner, it is handsome, well built, reliable and we feel very safe driving it due to its great visibility and so many safty features. In addition, with its powerful V8 we average over 19 MPG. We plan to own our 4Runner for many years and miles to come. We give it a 9.5 rating only because it lacks a 6 way passanger seat.

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  Toyota Did It Right - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Macs Ride - November 28 - 2:30 pm

  Having just retired and buying new cars for over 40 years, we were looking for something that would sum up all the cars weve had before...good ride and handling, fuel efficient, luxury, roominess up front as well as storage, looks beyond on the norm both inside and out, quality, and feeling good after long trips. We have about 3400 miles on it and have no real complaints. One minor issue was the speaker covers on the attached had to be realigned for a better fit and that only took about 5 minutes with the dealer. To date we really like our Venza and this car really has summed up our cars in the past, including Mercedes, Cadillacs, Infinitis, and yes...even a few sport cars.